Re: Internalized Oppresssion

From: Kevin Rocap (krocap@csulb.edu)
Date: Thu Mar 22 2001 - 10:28:06 PST


Dear friends,

I'm struck by what seem to be a variety of interpretations of
"internalized oppression."

My understanding of the term from work in anti-racist education is that
negative messages and treatment directed at a group - e.g., media
messages, discrimination, etc. - result in group members internalizing a
sense of themselves as inferior, not worthy, bad, etc., and organizing
their own behavior, in significant part, around that sense of self.

Overt, external practices of oppression become less necessary when
targeted group members become their own "jailers." Writings on racial
identity formation, such as Beverly Daniel Tatum, are apropos to this
discussion, imho.

In Peace,
Kevin Rocap
Director, Program & Development
Center for Language Minority Education and Research, CSULB



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